


Real

by orphan_account



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: IronStrange, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-14 11:12:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14768469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The man had a will stronger than the toughest boulder. Impossibly serious at all times, yet somehow being sassy? He was perhaps the only one that could match Tony in that, it almost sent chills of horror at how similar yet different they were.But what about Stephen Strange?What made him stand out from everyone else?





	Real

Everyone had their demons.

Whether they were as small as a phobia of spiders, or as big as the scorching brands left by war itself.

Tony Stark had his demons. Ugly, deformed, and horrifying creatures that crawled on top of him, crowding him with a sinister laughter that to this day sent chills down his spine. His demons manifested as panic attacks. 

Sometimes there was no reason for him to suddenly be gasping for breath, eyes darting around, mind screaming, danger, danger, danger. He could very well be vacationing on France or something along those lines, drinking a cup of tea while looking at the scenery. The next thing he would know, he was curled up around himself so tightly that his muscles screamed in protest but thanked him for having them safe.

His mind was an ugly space, paper white tainted with unremovable ink as time went by. Tony used to be a young, cocky man that thought he had the world at his feet. He was unbeatable, unreachable, the king of the world. A true bastard with no end.

Time changed him, with a firm hand over his shoulder that guided him through a door that presented him with real life problems. He wasn’t that man anymore, but let others believe he was. That part of him now existed as a mask, staring up at him goofily, reproaching him for frowning all the time.

He was tired, exhausted of what was kept being thrown at him. But as much as he wanted to surrender and just... go, he had others to protect, others to guide and be that leader that kept the group together. He didn’t live for what he used to, he lived for the Avengers, lived to see those innocent people safe and not scared of the threats that took a mighty interest on Earth.

Tony Stark had demons, but he learned to live with them. He learned that he should ignore that gurgling voice persuading him to... just... take one more drink, _one more Tony, it won’t hurt you_.

He learned to keep his chin up, move on, ignore that hissing voice that pleaded him to _just end it all. They will be fine without you. You can go to sleep..._

This, him, was Tony Stark 3.0. Proud he was, to lock the 2.0 version with the other. They were just a reminiscence of the past that he could look back to and see just how much he f*cking changed. He could take on the world, but now with a different intent. 

Stephen Strange, on the other hand, was a precious rarity he had never seen in his life.

The man, six foot two, lean, black hair with white streaks on the sides, probably strong under those robes but hell he probably was never seeing that, amazing cheekbones and a pair of eyes that held too much wisdom and knowledge for a man his age, could be even more complex than Tony himself.

The man had a will stronger than the toughest boulder. Impossibly serious at all times, yet somehow being sassy? He was perhaps the only one that could match Tony in that, it almost sent chills of horror at how similar yet different they were.

But what about Stephen Strange?

What made him stand out from everyone else?

Tony did not learn about this until they had started gravitating towards each other.

Everyone knew it was bound to happen, the tension stretching out between them had gone from slight disliking, to quite liking being around each other. No one made move to intrude in the process, simply left to watch as they took baby steps.

Tony had never been in a relationship with a man before, never thought he would, but right now he could very well punish himself for taking so damn long.

The lingering touches, stares, the simple fact of having Stephen’s warmth so close to him, it was intoxicating in a way he never thought to be possible. They started with simply grazing of their hands under the table, feigning ignorance in front of everyone.

When they kissed, the world was knocked out of him. That special moment had come in one of Tony’s famous celebrations, this time to celebrate the fact they had won a war. Several drinks and an unnoticed disappearance later and Tony suddenly found himself kissing Stephen on an empty hallway, music thumping mutedly behind the wall.

BUt when he meant intoxicating, he was being true to word. The man had the most talented lips and gorgeous hair perfect for gripping. Strange had him against the wall, the kiss having trascended into more intense grounds. Tony’s cockiness was reduced into a mound of jello, groaning in delight when their tongues made contact and rubbed oh so deliciously against each other.

After that well... it hadn’t been too difficult to slide into a relationship.

And with the weight of a relationship came a new pathway into Stephen’s mind. He started learning things he hadn’t known until now, like how he had a sister that passed away in an accident and he blames himself for it. Well, that part he obviously didn’t mention but something told him he did.

The nightmares were something else.

Unlike anything he had seen before. The man didn’t scream, cry or trash around. It had even taken a while to notice that he was having a night terror. Tony had risen from sleep suddenly, unaware of what had woken him up. It had been an odd feeling, because he knew he was not sliding into the first stages of a panic attack, neither there was an intruder, FRIDAY would’ve warned him.

He had taken a glance over at his phone, turned on his back and was about to settle back to sleep under the fresh covers when he, by chance, stole a glance at Stephen. Simple enough he was fast asleep, but what had stagnated his movements was his expression.

It was not peaceful. It was tense, as if ready for anything that could come an attack him. That had been enough to make him sit up, a deep furrow condensing in his feautures as he took in little details he hadn’t noticed before.

He was laying rather stiffly, still covered by the duvet with his arms pinned at his sides. A simple touch at his temple gave clue to a slight fever.

Apparently, even while sleeping, Strange couldn’t rest from his duties.

Every hero, no matter how powerful they were, carried a weight on their backs that affected them in one way or the other in their normal lives.

He wasn’t sure how to wake him, whether he was going to lash out at whatever attempted to hurt him. Tony knew it was a stupid idea to do so but he was willing to try it to test what could potentially trigger him.

Simply cupping his face with both hands, Stephen rose from his sleep with a deep inhale, eyes turning under shut eyelids as he came to be.

Tony simply observed by afar, hands still in contact with his face, waiting, analyzing, silently worrying that maybe he had done something wrong. But to his pleasant surprise, the other greeted him with a soft smile.

Damn, if they weren’t such a rare thing to see.

”You know, you have to stop doing whatever thing you are subconsciously doing in that mind of yours.” He gently tapped his forehead with his index finger, shuffling close to Stephen’s outstretched arm in invitation. Both took a silent moment to settle, but when they did, it was perfect. Tony’s head on the crook of Strange’s neck with an arm loosely draped over the other.

”And what is it that I was doing?” The sorcerer mused deeply, still weary from sleep and about to be dragged off once again.

”Oh you know, fighting mystical threats or whatever it is that you fight off daily.” The billionare snarked in amusement, though, the both of them were aware that it was anything but amusing. Then came the question. “Are you okay?” And oh how he felt it so weird to be asking questions like that, especially to someone like the beautiful specimen that was the other man. Tony could never understand how others could ask it with ease.

“Just fine. In fact, more than fine. Don’t worry.” The other ushered him into getting comfortable, like a mother gently scolding her son for still being awake.

”Oh great, I thought I was going to come up with a cheesy emotional speech or heavy reassurances.”

His head was easily tilted up, a kiss deliberately pressed on his lips.

Still mindblowing as the first time.

But again. “Want to talk about it?”

A moment of silence from the other.

”No... Nightmares are only but the demons we let in every now and then. Sometimes, when at the presence of others, those demons are reduced to just watch, just like now, you and I.” Came a reassuring embrace. “We learn to live with them. You, me, the rest of the world. It’s not worth going over them when we can focus on what truly matters. Talking helps us shake them off, push them away; when you have panic attacks, then it’s necessary to speak them out, because only then, those demons will step back. When they see that they can take you in their grip certain times, but not completely.”

Tony thought over his words, sighed, smiled, finally at ease.

”I like how you think.” Truly, he had never seen it that way before, always giving it as a case at loss with no escape whatsoever.

We live with our demons, we learn to do so as we grow, change and experience things that may give a space for them to break through.

But they are just envious of what we have.


End file.
